Pirates of the Caribean The Fountian of Life
by TheElf911
Summary: Ello! So this it the latest and best edition of this story. It was co-written between QueenNefertiri.Amun and I. Right now,she's left it to me to do,so I'm doing it . Plz tell me if anything is confusing! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Pirates of the Caribbean

The Fountain of Life

Introduction

A pair of boots could be heard clumping along the deck. Fluttering through the tattered, ruffled plumes on a hat, the breeze went on its way. The _Black Pearl_ was framing the tall rough figure of Captain Barbossa. He halted, looking around him for any sober witnesses. _Nothing but a bunch of worthless winebibbers,_ he thought scornfully. As he drew his studded dagger out of his belt, Barbossa took a side-long glance and stepped into an insignificant, little dingy. Once he reached the seat, he bent down and carved a hole in the bottom of the boat; making sure that the shavings were pushed through into the black water below. Satisfied with his work, Barbossa strolled back to board the _Black Pearl_. Barbossa almost cracked a smile at the thought of Jack Sparrow being left behind with a leaking dingy.

Chapter One

The wind was blowing steadily and the ocean was calm. It was a beautiful day to sail… or sleep. The dingy that cradled Captain Jack Sparrow and half his worldly belongings bobbed lazily on the waves. Empty bottles of rum clinked together as they rolled around in the hull. Other than that, no sound could be heard save the sea. Jack had his hat down; covering his face from the brilliant sun. For a moment, the wind picked up and the waves rolled into the boat and onto its dosing captain. The ocean water was adding to the collection of water already in the bottom of the dingy.

Grunting, Jack sat up and hauled himself to his fee. "Blast these waves!" he cursed as he sloshed around for a bucket to scoop the water out. He hadn't make port yet, and was running extremely low on supplies. Worst of all, there was no rum left. Also, the only map he possessed was the chart to the World's End. _Isn't of any use NOW!_ Fuming, Jack vented his stress. He had no loyal crew left except Gibbs whom he had left at Tortuga with Giselle and Scarlett. Jack squinted, scanning the horizon. Tortuga was in sight once more. It had been three days since Barbossa had stolen the _Pearl_ and Jack was in a bit of a spot. Jack's mind was flooded with thoughts of vengeance as he headed back to Tortuga.

Before, as he was trying to chase the _Black Pearl_ down, Jack had noticed that there was a leak in the bottom of the dingy. In the beginning, it was small enough to plug with a cork from a rum bottle. Now, however, it was much bigger; about the size of a child's hand. Jack had stuffed it as well as he could with some canvas, but it wasn't working too well. Thus he was forced to return to Tortuga for a change of plans.

~ * ~

At the moment, Barbossa was setting sail from Port Royal. Jack had stolen _his_ map, and he wasn't about to let Jack get away with it. He would find Sparrow and maroon him once and for all on some God-forsaken island with _no_ rum before Jack could shoot him again. Barbossa was going to do all he could to get rid of _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. Jack had been a thorn in his side for _far_ too long.

~ * ~

_Only another three years…_ Elizabeth Turner sighed drearily as she filled up a tankard, resting her other hand on the counter. Her thoughts drifted off into old dreams and memories.

"Well?" a relatively drunk sailor asked impatiently, interrupting Elizabeth's day dreaming. "Are you going to give it to me or not?"

Elizabeth turned condescendingly to her patron, "I'll give it to ye when I'm good and ready!" The man withdrew a little from the bar astounded at the outburst. Remembering soon, however, that his rum wasn't in his hand, the drunk glanced hinting from Elizabeth to the tankard. Breaking her moody stare, Elizabeth thumbed it down in front of the man; making sure that it splashed a little over the top and onto his breeches. The sailor, too glad with his drink, didn't notice (half to Elizabeth's disappointment), downed it immediately and, with a thump, he fell off his seat.

Shaking her head at the poor, intoxicated man's plight, Elizabeth grabbed a stack of dishes that needed to be washed. As she began her work once more, it was soon interrupted by the tugging of a small hand at her skirt. A boy of about seven years of age looked up at her and held up a small, worn leather bag.

"William!" Elizabeth whispered in a reproving tone as she snatched the pouch from Will's up-raised hand. "Where did to get this?"

Her son shrugged, "I found it over there." Little Will pointed to a corner in which a brawl was taking place.

Elizabeth, worried at what trouble it might bring, opened the bag as she inquired further, "Do you happen to know who it belongs to?" Even though it was a dirty old bag found on the floor in a bar in Tortuga, doesn't mean that it wasn't something important to the owner. And generally, when owners are missing something, they can blow their cap over it.

After Elizabeth had opened it, he peeped inside with wide sparkling brown eyes, and pointed at it.

"Isn't it be-u-ti-ful?" the young boy asked as he tried to form the word. Now it was Elizabeth's turn to peer in.

Elizabeth gasped at what she saw inside the little pouch. A diamond, about the size of a small prune and intricately cut, glimmered at her with a strange, luminous light. Besides the diamond, there was a worn piece of cloth with black markings all over it and a couple silver coins. Silently, Elizabeth gazed enchanted at the precious stone. Blinking her amber eyes, she carefully drew the drawstrings of the bag closed. Elizabeth sensed that trouble was in the air.

A man sitting at the bar farther down saw her surprised and worried expression. Wondering what the problem could be, his eyes soon latched on to the bag. With in it, he saw the glow emanating from the bag right before Elizabeth tied it up tight. His eyes lit up.

"William, darling, go put it back right away," Elizabeth sternly ordered her son, bending down and gently smoothing his plump cheek. Little Will nodded obediently and was sent on his way with a tender little push from his mother.

This was Tortuga, a pirate haven. All it took to spark an enormous brawl in which someone could be killed was a little boy of seven years to accidentally find a dusty old bag with a rare diamond in it. In past years of running the tavern, Elizabeth had seen enough of them. And ended them.

Her tavern, the _Medallion_, was smack dab in the middle of Tortuga's busiest port. Also, it was known for its excellent rum and the owner's steady, iron-handed control. Though most of the populous of her patrons didn't know who Elizabeth really was, a few pirates and Corsairs did. They were the ones who had been on adventures with her and fought beside her. Some of them were Will, her husband; Jack Sparrow, Barbossa and the other pirate lords. (She had met the pirate lords when they had stood up against Lord Beckett's fleet and _The Flying Dutchman's_ terrible captain, David Jones.) Only they knew the she, Elizabeth, was married to the man who had stabbed the still beating heart of Davy Jones, and that she had been responsible for the first _successful_ attempt for Captain Jack Sparrow's death. However, many people _did_ know that, if in a bad mood or in a protective state, she could be a deadly enemy.

William trotted off to replace that which he had taken. As he went, Elizabeth watched him for a little bit; thinking of how much like his father he was and would become. With a wan smile, Elizabeth returned to scrubbing her dishes and counter tops, and refilling wanting tumblers.

Just as Elizabeth pocketed another coin, a booming roar filled the room followed by a small scuffle.

Remembering her son's errand, Elizabeth whipped around to see William being held up by the collar of his shirt by a brawny pirate. The pirate was trying to grab the leather bag from William's grasp. Anxiously, Elizabeth slid over the counter and drew her two pistols; cocked and ready. Elizabeth shoved sailors, drunk and sober alike, aside; heading straight for her boy.

"Leave 'em alone!" she yelled, her eyes aflame with motherly protectiveness. She aimed both of her pistols at the pirate's heart. She would do anything to insure her son's safety; he was practically all she had left, her husband was just about as good as dead.

With his dagger at the child's neck, the half drunk man looked from Elizabeth to the boy. "What's this?" he scoffed with a hiccup. "The mother comin' for her young?" He laughed tauntingly. "Perhaps this lassie taught her son how to pick a pocket clean!" Then knife drew closer to William's neck. William's eyes started to well as he watched his mother trustingly.

Elizabeth didn't waver an inch. "Put him down or these bullets will leave my possession and pierce your Black heart!" The tavern, by now, had become as quiet as a graveyard on Sunday and several pirates had already moved away from the disturber.

Ignoring all said, the pirate proceeded to press the dagger harder to the boy's neck when two shot resounded in the room. The man's weapons clattered to the floor along with William who was released from the departed pirate's grasp. The man slumped to the floor; two red splotches spread rapidly across his shirt from the left of his chest. Elizabeth had aimed well.

She shoved her pistols into her belt and hurried over to comfort her frightened son. As she knelt down by her son, she grabbed the bag in a fold of her skirt to escape notice. Then, holding on to Will's hand, she hurried him up stairs to their living quarters, but before ascending, Elizabeth briefly announced to the still curious patrons. "The pub is closing! Refills are no longer available for the rest of the night! Out!"

As Elizabeth ushered her son up the stairs, the patrons slowly filed out. Some of them remembered the body of the troublesome pirate and decided to heave him out and bury him. Other than that, they all left, none wanted to risk the wrath of Elizabeth Turner who was already warmed up.

~ * ~

Meanwhile, a pirate by the name of Jessie Thomas Vaugahan, the very same who had seen the leather bag when he was sitting at the bar, waited patiently outside the pub. He had watched the whole thing transpire, soaking up every detail: the little boy going to his mother, Elizabeth's surprised expression, her sending her son to put it back where he found it, the pirate trying to take the bag from William, the death of the unfortunate scalawag …everything. The only reason why he wasn't searching the body for the bag was because he had seen what no one else and taken notice of: Elizabeth's slender hand sliding along the floor quickly as if to straighten her skirts, but instead to carefully enfold the wanted bag. Jessie had silently watched it all. He knew what was in the sack ever since he saw the glimmer of light coming from the bag. He also knew that the contents of that bag were his ticket to the good life. Jessie swore that he wouldn't leave that port unless he had that bag.

Jessie was better known by his dead twin's name, Jessie's own middle name, Thomas. Thomas D. Vaugahan was rich, famous and successful. Jessie, even though he was even more successful, was always dim in his brother's glow. He became jealous and killed Thomas and took his place saying that the body was Jessie's and that he had been killed during some private dispute. No one ever questioned the matter.

Now Jessie hid in the shadows. Elizabeth had immerged from the back door of the pub with a basket of broken dishes and food scraps. She briskly walked down the alley to a large hole in which she dumped the garbage and then took a shovel that was leaning against the wall and pushed in a layer of dirt. Then Elizabeth crept off to the bay to think once again of her beloved.

As she walked away, Jessie stealthily moved over to the door. When Elizabeth was out of sight, he pushed the creaky door open. As his eyes adjusted to the even darker room, the intruder found his way up the stairs. _The kid will probably be in bed,_ he presumed._ And when I got the kid, I got her._

At the top of the stairs there were three doors. From underneath one of the doors, brimmed candle light, the others were dark. Jessie stepped silently nearer to the lighted door and listened for any sounds coming from within. The child was still awake.

_Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we!_

_I see a wreck to windward and a lofty ship to lee! _

_A sailin' down on all the coasts of High Barbary…_

The song was carried on a perfect tune by a pure, sweet child's voice. The chosen door flew open and immediately William stopped singing. Standing there, the pirate drew his sword. The little boy let out a gasp.

"Yer comin' with me, boy!" Jessie commanded menacingly.

"No!" shouted William defiantly. "I'm not a-scared of you! Mum taught me how to…"

William was cut short. Jessie had hauled him up by his arm, "You're coming with me 'cause I need something from yer mother, and you'll be a good way to ensure her good behavior!" William stuck his tongue out at the abductor and then pulled something from around his neck. It was a whistle.

_Fweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!_

Jessie soon hears the rapid footsteps and the creaky door swing open. Elizabeth had heard the whistle strains from the beach. William needed her.

"William!" she cried as she ran up the stairs. She burst through the door to find the room empty. As she searched the room desperately, she heard the door shut behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"No, no, no, and once again NO!"

"Ohh come on luv," pleaded Jack, trying to put on his most irresistible face. He was lounging at the bar of his favorite Tortugan pub, the _Faithful Bride_. Already well acquainted with his rum bottle, Jack was trying to drag where or if Gibbs was on the island out of the barmaid. "Please?!?" asked a frustrated Jack. "Why is it so blasted important that you detain me for as long as you possibly can?" Cleverly, he then wondered out loud to her, "Is it possibly probable that you just enjoy my company?" He smiled as charmingly as he could.

"Humph!" huffed the barmaid as she slapped him across his jaw and stomped haughtily away.

Jack sighed dejectedly, "I thought not."

After drinking his rum and staring off into the distance for awhile, the barmaid recalled him to reality as she yelled from across the room, slowly making her way back to him, "Jack! Look who I found!"

Whirling around, Jack blinked blankly at the barmaid. _What could she possibly want to do with me now?_ Then he turned his soon to be undivided attention to the French woman next to her. She was in a maroon dress. It billowed out a little starting at the waistline, and then it formed into a black vest-like with off-white, slightly puffed sleeves. One had slipped off the smooth shoulder of its wearer. The woman, herself, had long, loosely curled, hair with fell appealingly in dark tresses over the low back of the dress and shoulders. Her eyes were a piercing green. A piece-of-eight, strung on a gold chain, hung down low on her chest.

"Ohh, so that's why you've been detaining me! Vanessa, darling! Thought I'd never see you again!"

She glared at him spitefully, her vibrant green eyes flashing. "You thought wrong; again! It's been a very long time Jack Sparrow. Shall we?" Vanessa nodded towards the bar table.

Perfectly delighted, not only at seeing her, but because of the fact that she hadn't slapped him yet, Jack motioned eagerly for her to take a seat next to him.

Vanessa sat down and smiled prettily, "Oh, and just for good measure," _THWACK! _Her eyes were twinkling mischievously.

Jack opened his mouth in pain; trying to release some of the shock. He had thought too soon. "What was _that_ for? _I _never did _anything_ to you to deserve that!"

"Ohh? Really?" Vanessa's eyes were wide with pretend shock.

"_That_ was a long time ago, luv." Jack stated in a tone that made it known he didn't want to go there.

She smiled at him forgivingly, running her had along his jaw tenderly. "That was for anything you might have done. You're Jack Sparrow! Ya can neva' be too sure."

Jack straightened up in his seat as if to restart and asked, "Well luv, where have you been?"

"Ohh, everywhere!" She breathed, "I've been with Thomas Vaugahan lately, and he's taken quite a liking to me," she glanced at Jack's face to see if any sign of emotion would escape his unsentimental character. She was disappointed.

He took a swig from his bottle; polishing it off, "Vaugahan 'eh?" He put his eye to the opening of the bottle to make sure he didn't miss a drop. "Well, come with me. I've got some business to attend to."

With an arm around Vanessa's shoulder's, he stood up, bottle in hand. Then they walked over to the nearest brawl and Jack smashed the empty bottle over a man's head to dispose of it. Jack stepped out into the foggy night with Vanessa.

"Business?" Vanessa asked curiously, "What sort of business?"

"First Mate sort of business," he replied, not expounding on the subject.

They headed to where, if he was still on Tortuga, Mr. Gibbs could surely be found – the pigsty. Gibbs was there all right, though this time he wasn't in his drunken sleep quiet yet. Jack, having grabbed another bottle of rum, took a drink and said, "How's 'bout I buy you a brandy 'eh?

"Captain!" exclaimed Gibbs surprised, as he always was at the sudden appearances of Jack Sparrow. He smiled at Jack's beautiful companion.

As Jack took a drink, he made a disgusted face. Curious, Gibbs asked him, "What be that yer drinkin'?

Jack thought for a moment with his finger furtively tapping his lips. "Well," he began. "I thought it was rum, 'cause that's what I asked for, but I suppose it could be any number of horrible concoctions,"

Vanessa let out a small giggle as Gibbs peered closer at it. Obviously, she was in on the joke. Sniffing the liquid, Gibbs roared, "It's water!" The object in question was identified.

"Ohh," was Jack's bland response as he let the detested liquid drain from the bottle.

The threesome headed back to the bar; where Gibbs got his promised brandy, and sat down to discuss Jack's plans.

"So, where we be headed Capn'?" asked Gibbs, leaning over his drink with a satisfied expression on his face. He was as ready for any answer as he would ever get.

Vanessa leaned back with a cynical expression, "Headed? Does that mean that Jack actually managed to hang on to his ship? I thought that he lost it to Barbossa again."

"Aye, Barbossa _does_ have _the Pearl_, but he and Jack seem to have been trading Captaincies a lot lately," informed Gibbs, but when he saw Jack making a face at him, he stopped his explanation. "So what be our options then?"

Jack took a breath as he began to relay their options. "Now, I could just give Barbossa my map, and not gain immortality all on false belief that I'll get my ship back. I could copy the map, give him the real one, still not get my ship back, and risk him becoming immortal too. I can copy the map falsely, keep the real one for myself, give him the fake one, and get my ship back; but risk being chased over the seven seas till Judgment day. Or... I can just go away, not give him the map, and get my ship back some other time. None of these happen to be very wonderful ideas, but the last one happens to be our best bet. Savvy?"

Gibbs opened his mouth and began to speak. He closed it and opened it once more. In the end, he just decided to smile and nod, saving himself from an even more confusing lecture. "Good," replied Jack to the gesture.

Vanessa appeared to be absentmindedly looking into space, but all her concentration was focused on the two pirates' conversation. _A map! What kind of map?_ She had never met Barbossa, but if it was that important to him and Jack, then Vanessa supposed she'd make a bid for it as well. _They wouldn't fight over something completely worthless would they? _ She continued her oblivious little masquerade; seeming to pay no attention to the pirates.

"So we go to Port Antonio and commandeer a ship, come back to Tortuga, and get a new crew?" Gibbs guessed at Jack's normal procedure.

"Right," Jack confirmed.

"Where be ye goin' then?" Vanessa asked with a hint of longing in her voice.

"Then we use this, here wonderful map that I have to find all those... uhh... legendary places of legend!" Jack spat out awkwardly.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. _Hmm, legendary places of legend. Sounds adventurous and it defiantly sounded like typical Jack. _

The three toasted to good fortune and freedom, downed their drinks, and walked to the door. "Ya know luv, how's 'bout I buy you somethin' nice?" asked the Captain flirtingly as he attempted to walk through the doorway. But someone blocked their exit.

"Ello Jaaack," grinned Barbossa triumphantly. Jack stepped back amazed and, with a horrible feeling of defeat, he sighed,

"Not good."

"Jack?" taunted Vanessa, standing on tip toes to whisper in his ear. "Could you introduce me to your friends? She half guessed that this was the much talked about Barbossa. Already, several pirates had encircled them. Vanessa wasn't too thrilled about the turn of events, but then again Jack Sparrow was never a boring man and Vanessa never had a boring day with him. Sometime, though, his adventures were a little much sometimes.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A while later Jack Sparrow was sitting at the table in the captain's cabin of his own ship. He had half of a green apple in his mouth and was glumly discussing terms with Barbossa. Vanessa was leaning on the back of Barbossa's chair, trying to make Jack jealous, as she twirled one of the feathers in Barbossa's hat (much to Barbossa's annoyance): Jack's brow seemed to cloud over darkly as he bit his lip. He was trying to devise a plan to escape with his ship, his map, and _his_ girl for that matter. Also, it would be preferable if Barbossa was marooned on some deserted island with no food, no rum, and no water. With Vanessa distracting him though, it wasn't going too well.

Half an hour before, the pirate had found himself surrounded and had sadly agreed to settle things with Barbossa on the docked _Black Pearl_.

Upon entering the cabin, Jack had placed the map on his chair and sat on it to insure that it remained, for the time being, in his possession. He was not about to give up his ticket to immortality without a bargain that included him and his ship sailing away _without_ Barbossa. This, even to him, seemed highly unlikely.

"This is most defiantly a flash back," Jack said as he placed his feet atop the table. "Except _you_ were cursed and _I_ was eating your apple. "Although," he paused for a moment; looking out the window to recall the past time to compare it to the present, "we're still arguing over _my_ ship." Jack glanced up to see how Barbossa was taking it, but caught Vanessa watching him intently. She dropped her gaze and then self-consciously adjusted her position beside Barbossa's chair.

"_My_ ship!" argued Barbossa.

"No, _my_ ship!" Jack exclaimed defiantly.

Barbossa jumped up with a dangerous glint in his eye, "_I'm_ captain. Makes it _my_ ship."

Jack frowned at the unfair logic.

"Men fight over the silliest things," commented Vanessa, provoking Jack further, as she examined her nails with an unconcerned air.

Barbossa rolled his eyes, "Terms are these... Ye give me the map, and I use it as I please, and, when I've done with it, you can 'ave _my_ ship."

"No good..." Jack turned away from his adversary stubbornly; looking much like a spoiled, unsatisfied child.

"Well..." the present captain waited on stretched patience.

The Light clicked on, "_AND_ the map!"

"No, Jack, I think we can be a doin' without ye gettin' my map as well," retorted Barbossa, shutting off the Light as quickly as it had turned on. He leaned back smugly, sensing a near victory.

Vanessa looked from Jack to Barbossa. "You two are really hitting it off aren't you? I think you both should…" Vanessa pouted, folding her arms and landing herself in a heap on a nearby stool, as Jack interrupted.

"Here's the deal...You give me _my_ ship and I leave _you _somewhere in the Caribbean with your map 'eh?"He nodded with an eager look, hoping to close the matter before he got worsted.

"No, Worst deal I could make." Barbossa flatly replied. Jack shrugged, thinking otherwise.

"Last bargain mate," Jack warned. He was trying desperately to take control of the matter. "It's this or nothing. You give me back _my Pearl_ and I give you the map. I will then leave you here in Tortuga where, undoubtedly, you will pick up a ship and a crew who will then accompany you on whatever journey of yours that involves my map. _And_, hopefully, we'll never see each other on the seven seas again," concluded the satisfied Jack.

`Barbossa thought for a moment. Then he summoned Pintel and Ragetii, "Show _Captain Sparrow_ to the brig," he mocked as he leaned back triumphant and bit into a _green_ apple.

"Ello Poppet," said Pintel as they both gapped at Vanessa. Ragetii snickered as Vanessa gave a little wave as she stepped lightly off the stool.

"NOW!" shouted Barbossa. His patience had been wrung out to the last drop by Jack.

As they hoisted Jack up from his chair, Barbossa plucked the coveted map from Jack's reluctant arms, "Have a nice stay…Jaaack."

_Oh bugga'! _Jack thought.

"Jack, why _does_ this man have your ship anyways? Aren't you able to keep it in your possession." inquired Vanessa innocently from behind Barbossa.

"Someone, like a first mate, was _supposed_ to be watching the ship, but no, he went and fell asleep on me!" Jack glowered as the two pirates hauled him away.

"Well maybe you should get a betta one," suggested Vanessa in a chipper voice.

"Tell yer wench ta shut up!" Barbossa told Jack.

Jack decided to ignore both Barbossa and Vanessa and asked hesitantly, "Can I have my hat back?" His eyes looked longingly at his beloved hat which Pintel had given to Barbossa.

Barbossa just sighed and shook his head in disgust. "You'll be comin' with me, missy." He motioned to Vanessa and showed her to the room in which Elizabeth Swann (now Turner) had once stayed the night in while the _Black Pearl_ had still been a ghost ship.

"Get me my hat!" whispered Jack doggedly as she passed by. Vanessa glanced back, her loose curly dark brown hair flowing over her bare shoulders, and, without a word, followed Barbossa. Jack felt a bit betrayed, but as he caught her eye, he detected a glimmer of something else.

Barbossa gruffly pushed Vanessa through the doo, slammed it behind her, and strode away to get the ship ready to sail murmuring to himself,_ I HATE having to take all the witnesses with me!_

It was dark. No hint of light escaped the gloom of the room or the clouds that choked the sun. Vanessa stood up and walked quietly to the door of the cabin. She cupped her hands around her ear and placed them to the door. Nothing could be heard. Cautiously, she tried the door. Locked.

Next on her list was to search the room for something to pick the lock with. After all, it was just a normal door knob lock. _I'll show HIM! I'm not just one of those little wimpy scats who Jack picked up off the street! _She thought angrily. Vanessa did _not_ like her freedom hindered.

~ * ~

Pintel and Ragetii were enjoying it. Getting to lock up Jack Sparrow just never gets old.

"Come on Sparra', into yer li'le nest ye go!" chuckled Pintel. Ragetii joined in and waved his hands at Jack as if to shoo him into the iron barred cell.

Before they closed the door, they shackled Jack's hands together. Jack looked down at them grimly and shook them to see if they were really real. Sadly, they were.

"'Ey! If you wouldn't mind, what 'bout bringin' me and old bottle of rum or two?" Jack shouted after them and then added, "And my HAT!" Peals of laughter wafted down to him from the steps. "I take that as a no." He sagged glumly on his bench.

~ * ~

Crawling out from under a desk, Vanessa emerged proudly. _Ha! I've got it! _ What she had was a thin nail, which had been loose, that she had painstakingly wiggled out of the desk. _This is the best I've found, so it'll have to work._ Vanessa felt confident that it would work as she hurried to the door with her skirts rustling. Just as she was about to insert the make-shift lock pick, however, someone banged loudly on the door.

"'Ey missy! We're comin' in with yer suppa'!" It was Pintel. Ragetii, of course, was chuckling over his shoulder until Pintel noticed and threatened to smash his face in.

Vanessa let out an inward sigh of impatience as she got up as quickly as she could without making any noise and fairly flew to a cushioned chair to make herself appear as if she was there the whole time. As she was smoothing out her skirts, her eyes widened as she remembered the nail and looked at the floor in front of the door. The nail, which she had dropped when the pounding had surprised her, was lying in plain sight. Vanessa crept to the nail and snatched it up right as the two pirates were opening the door. With no other place to hide it, she dropped it down the front of her corset.

"Oh, hello fellas!" pretended Vanessa twirling a piece of her hair. "I was just 'bout to open the door for ye, but it was locked." _That's right Vanessa,_ she thought; _just play stupid and pretty for these two morons._

Grinning at each other, Pintel and Ragetii proceeded to bring in a leaden tray of food and a small barrel of rum.

"Oooh!" Vanessa giggled while scheming on the inside as she let her hand slid over the barrel as Pintel carried it past. "just when I was getting' a lil' dry too." Ragetii had already grabbed three tumblers out of a nearby cabinet.

~ * ~

Jack had tried pretty much everything that he could think of. Even the "proper leverage" technique couldn't help him now, because his bench was bolted to the wall and had no legs besides. Beneath the lock on the door, there was a small pile of broken glass, bits of wood and busted bones signifying Jack's many attempts at picking the lock. In the end, Jack just decided to rot on his little bench.

_Strange how everything seems to go wrong whenever that woman shows up, _thought the imprisoned pirate. _Not to mention she has this devilish little look about her._ For once, Jack didn't know what to make of someone, who, in this case, happens to be Vanessa. He was driving himself half mad at what Vanessa could possibly be up to, and why she just _happened _to show up now. _Perhaps she's in on this with Barbossa. Maybe she stalled me on purpose!_ Glowering, Jack stewed on his little board.

~ * ~

_Finally! It's about time these two idiots tipped!_ Vanessa carefully set down her tumbler on the nicked table so as not to wake the two drunken pirates up. Pintel and Ragetii had danced right into Vanessa's hand. _And now for the keys…_ She softly slipped her hand into Pintel's vest pocket where she had seen him put the key after relocking the door behind them once they came in. Her hand hit something cold and hard. _Ha! Got it!_ Vanessa couldn't help but let a weasel-like sly smile spread across her lips.

Tip-toeing to the door, Vanessa bade her farewells to the tricked pirates and was about to leave when she saw a familiar hat sitting on a chair next to Ragetii who was snoring loudly. _Might as well, I dare say that Jack will appreciate it_. After inching to the chair while trying to avoid the creaks in the floor, Vanessa lifted up the precious hat, and slipped out the door. By now, evening had long since fallen.

Vanessa hugged the wall as she sneaked to the stairs leading down to the brig. Suddenly, she ran into something hard. _Bloody rail!_ She thought as she clapped her hand to her mouth to keep from cursing out loud. Limping slightly, Vanessa continued a tad bit more nimbly to maneuver around the cumbersome rail.

Tripping lightly down the stairs, she swung the keys around her finger as she scanned the room, she murmured, "Jack?" Vanessa peered into each cell as she walked down the row. In the last on, she saw him. _Humph! Drifted comfortably off to sleep I see! Did he honestly think that I was gonna do it all? _Vanessa looked down at the articles in her hands and pursed her lips and hissed, "Jack! Wake up!" She chucked a pebble at his head and hit him on the nose. Jack wrinkled his nose and sat up, dazed with sleep.

"Huh? What?" He looked around with half opened eyes. Upon seeing his hat, Jack snapped awake. "I knew you'd bring it!" he said joyfully as Vanessa passed it through the bars of his cell. Jack dusted it off and slapped it on his head. He felt complete.

"Your welcome," smiled Vanessa. She had already forgotten her little huff from before. Getting serious, she inquired, "Jack, really, why _does_ Barbossa have the _Pearl_? I don't see how you could've lost it to him; well, unless you were gambling." She came closer to the bars and gripped her slender hand around one.

"No gambling luv: drinking. I spent one night drinking with two lovely ladies on each arm, and come morning, I found my first mate asleep in front of a dingy instead of the _Pearl_, which was sailin' off into the distance," answered Jack woefully.

Vanessa glanced up at him and dropped her eyes back down to the floor, "Jack, I don't know exactly what ye think of me." Jack raised his eyebrows, wondering if his theory about her alliance with Barbossa could be true. "I mean, with me just coming out of nowhere as it were and then you're landed in this predicament. I just want ye to know that I've nothin' to do with it."

Moving closer to the bars, Jack said, "Ya know luv, one says and does what one must. Take it from me that honesty is not always the best policy. For example, I only tell the truth when it's to my greatest advantage."

Vanessa gave him a quizzical look, "Then shall I wait until it's to _my_ greatest advantage to free you?"

"Do you mean to free me when there's something in it for you or are you just tempting me?" asked Jack keenly. "For all I know, you might not even have the key. Or maybe you have it, but you're only going to release me when it's most convenient for you and Barbossa to follow me around. Trust me luv, I know more about the _Agua de Vida_ then you or Barbossa do."

Vanessa cautiously hid the key from Jack's view. She wasn't sure how she was going to play her cards just yet, but she did know that the less Jack knew the better. "Well then, I suppose it's useless to tell you whether or not I have the key then huh? From what I understand, you only believe people when they _do_ things, not just from sayin' things."

Shrugging, Jack replied, "It all depends on the circumstance."


End file.
